Linux crashing, BIOS not loadings

markmco

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Jan 29, 2013
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I recently installed ubuntu on my desktop. I am fairly new with Linux, so I am not too sure what I did or was doing. I was having a friend help me automatically mount a harddrive on startup before he left. I got far enough that it was automatically mounting, however, when I went to move files into the new HDD and it was telling me I needed permission to save files or move files into the hardrive. Under my access tab it said the user was "root" where as the HDD I install Ubuntu on the user was my user account. I looked around for a while about a fix for it and they were all above my knowledge. I got impatient and went to us a program called PsyDM. I was eventually able to get PsyDM to work and went into it to setup my harddrive. It basically showed all of my Hard drives on a list and when I clicked on them it asked if I wanted to change them or configure them or something. I initially clicked no, but went back in and clicked yes. Once I did there was a tab that I clicked on and it had highlighted all of my harddrives to mount on booting or something of the sort. I restarted to see if it worked. When I did, I got through my BIOS, It went to my GNU GRUB menu, I selected Ubuntu, and then it went to a pixelated purple screen. I restarted and I went through the same process and was able to get in. I was unable to connect to the internet, it woudln't even recognize my USB based wireless reciever was there. I rebooted. This time I was able to get to the ubuntu booting screen and it said "An error occured while mounting /media/ssd1." and to press s to skip recovery or something of the sort. Once I did this my keyboard went dead. I keep restarting and my keyboard and mouse don't work sometimes on ubuntu loading, rarely they do. At one point I hard reset with the button on my case and it completely bi passed the bios and went straight to ubuntu load screen where my USB hardware wasn't recognized. I rebooted and now I can't even get my BIOS to come up. My keyboard is sitting with all it's lights and fans are running on but nothing is coming through to the monitors. No Bios, nothing. During this stream of restarts, I booted into windows successfully and it was fine. I was able to access two of my harddrives and the internet. Now I cannot even get into my BIOS.

Both of my monitors, keyboard, and mouse work. All fans come on with the power button. I cannot verify, but I am fairly certain this isn't a hardware problem. It just seems odd the series of events that led up to complete failure. It was as if with every restart the machine died a little bit until nothing.

The specs for my machine are as followed:
ASROCK 990FX EXTREME3
AMD PH II X6 2.8Ghz AM3
EVGA GTX560
16gb G.skill Sniper DDR3 1333
Antec 750W Eathwatts PSU

The one odd things is my Das Keyboard's lights are always on now despite the machine being off. This didn't use to happen.

Does anyone have any ideas on this?
 

nss000

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Apr 18, 2008
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Your first mistake is trying to dual-boot Linux & Windows on the same box. That is EXPERT-ONLY byteboy territory ... you see what can happen to a normal human being. Modern Linux will automagically function **only** if you stay rigidly on a conservative path; part of that path is **one box --- one OS**.


 

markmco

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Jan 29, 2013
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I have four hard drives. The two OS were on separate Hard drives. The hard drive I was trying to mount to Ubuntu was formatted. I had to go through the BIOS to interchange between operating systems. On top of this, the person that was helping me initially was more than experienced with linux.
 
First of all, ignore the trolling about dual-booting. Millions of people do this without problem. (My system boot 2 Windows installations and 3 Linux ones.) Your problem lies elsewhere.

The symptoms you have described point to corrupted CMOS settings (or corrupted BIOS) or a hardware problem.

First thing to try is to clear the CMOS. If that doesn't fix things, then disconnect all peripherals and hard drives, remove all but one memory module and see what happens. If you still have problems then try a different module. If things work now then reinstall each item one by one to determine the faulty one. But if a minimal system won't boot to the BIOS you are looking at a PSU or m/b issue.
 
first, I would try a good old cold start up for general trouble shooting.

1.)unplug all usb devices
2.)unplug power plug from power supply
3.)press and hold power button for 30+sec
4.)plug in only essential usb devices and boot. if this doesnt work, take out bios backup battery and try again.

As for auto-mounting drives, this is usually accomplished via editing the file '/etc/fstab'
More info here:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/AutomaticallyMountPartitions
and
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Fstab

when you get ubuntu booting again, if you still have issues with file permissions please make a new topic!

Your first mistake is trying to dual-boot Linux & Windows on the same box. That is EXPERT-ONLY byteboy territory ... you see what can happen to a normal human being. Modern Linux will automagically function **only** if you stay rigidly on a conservative path; part of that path is **one box --- one OS**.

Please quit trolling these forums. We actually try and help people with issues. You do nothing but comment (falsely) how terrible linux is even though most of your problems stem from your stubbornness to learn even the most basic concepts of your OS.
 

stillblue

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Nov 30, 2012
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What Ijack said. For the heck of it try another keyboard. I used to be under the misconception that a keyboard error would always beep, not so. A stuck key could be your problem but I'd think it's more likely what Ijack said.
 

markmco

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Thanks for all the help guys. I have spent a few hours trying everything I can, I have basically rebuilt this machine twice with no success. I think I am going to purchase a new Mobo/PSU to see how that works out. I really appreciate all the effort and time spent by you all.
 

nss000

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SK:

Troll? Me, a gent who uses exclusively Ubuntu every day on a production box?? Oh my dear sir! Quit deluding n00bs with fairy-tale Linux usability drivel. Promote instead robust conservative behavior.

In this one thread look at the babble you and other **helpers** have spewed out ... and look at the ZERO RESULTS OBTAINED vis' the last post. I feel sorry for him ... he's over his head ... and feel disgust for your casual misinformation. As for **millions** of dual boot *nix users, which part of the 0.57% Linux desktop penetration cohort do they comprise?


 

markmco

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You are correct, there were zero results. If you were to read this was a hardware malfunction that coincided with software difficulties, I was just unaware of it when I posed this question.

You feel sorry for me? **** you. I am trying to learn and push my boundaries on my knowledge and understanding of computers. I am not in over my head. I made a mistake as anyone who is learning anything will do. If you are seriously saying that linux and windows cannot dual boot properly, you are insane. I was able to "dual boot" them for weeks with no issue until I tried to automatically mount a hard drive that was in no way related to these two systems dual booting. In addition, if you were to read the OS were on two separate hard drives, each being connected to their own independent hard drive for additional storage. Again that is four hard drives, two for windows, two for linux. I had to go through my BIOS to change which one I booted out of (and yes, I do realized that there are other alternatives than going through the BIOS here). It would have been the exact same had I physically removed and put in a new hardware each time I put in an OS. If you cannot understand any of these ideas, then you should re-evalutate your assumption of who has less knowledge here. Sure, you may be able to operate linux better than myself, but you lack all common knowledge and reasoning. If you have nothing beneficial to say then don't say anything at all; don't you have a mother? Let the people who are here helping, help.
 

nss000

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Apr 18, 2008
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Oh really ... 4 hard-drives . Well my mistake, you are in the right company.



 
Probably only 1 or 2 % of the hundreds of millions of Linux users. 0.57% (assuming that figure is correct, which is a big assumption) of a huge number is still a large number. ;)

We appreciate that you find these things difficult and can't solve simple Linux problems. But others have more knowledge and have good advice to give, so I don't think your consistently negative attitude towards those trying to help other Linux users is beneficial. It does, indeed, amount to trolling. If you don't know the answer it's probably best not to post.

It is better to say nothing and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt.
 

stillblue

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Linux is on much more than 0.57% of computers, you chose the market segment with the least and it is an unverifiable number as one download can go on from none to hundreds of computers. So yes, Linux is on 10's of millions of computers as verified by number of Linux boxes searching on the net. Ubuntu alone has topped a 100 million downloads.

Your advice would be like me telling people "Well if you can't find the start button in windows 8 you shouldn't be using it." Once someone shows you then it works, that's why people come here, to get over the hump.

You wouldn't work in Seattle by any chance do you?
 

stephen hoos

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Apr 12, 2013
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I would say you have a hard drive problem, or some other hardware problem. The Ubuntu dual booting is just a coincidence, and dual booting with Ubuntu is easy as apple pie(eating it that is).

I fix computers for a living and have been working on computers over 20 years. In my experience a bad hard drive can cause the computer to freeze the BIOS. The suggestion that you disassemble your computer and put it back together one piece at a time is the way to go. Remember that the minimum for your computer to work other than power is the CPU, RAM and a video card. Without these three things the computer BIOS will not post.

The things that I would think are at the top of the list for causing this kind of problem would be bad RAM or a bad or overheating CPU.

If unplugging your hard drive does not allow your computer to function properly, I think you might want to put together a minimal build of just the cpu, ram, video, and a cd/dvd player. Get a live "burn-in" disk, and stress your computer until it crashes, after you have done a complete RAM test.

I hope you have got your problem fixed.